Fixing the Broken
by StoriesOfANobody
Summary: After getting an amazing offer, Carrie left Peaceville. It may have been short to some people, but to Lenny four years was a long time. Four years without his best friend, four years without the love of his life. He didn't even get to say goodbye. He was broken. When Carrie returns, he is angry and cold. Will he ever get his old attitude back?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi. How're doing on this wonderful day? I can't hear you, so...Awkward.

Here's that story I promised. Yea, I took a long time writing this. I have a life outside of this, believe it or not. It's a pretty eventless life, but I got one!

* * *

Twenty-five year old Lenny was a complete wreck. Not in the bad way, like a partier or drug dealer, but as in emotional, which I guess is still bad. The emotions were bottled up and shoved behind a reinforced gate in his mind. He was strong, harsh, and cold on the outside. Someone needed to break through that barrier, to release the man he really was, instead of the man he'd become.

At least, that's what I thought. I hadn't seen Lenny in four years. By the time I managed to escape my singing career and find him, he was an emotionless shell of himself. Here, let me start from the beginning.

It was a Friday night, around eight o'clock, and I found myself lumbering into a local bar. It must've been built while I was out of town, because as far as I knew Peaceville didn't have a bar. That may have been what the peace part in Peaceville was.

Anyway, I took a seat, got the regular go round of autographs and stuff, ordered, and scanned the room. Maybe I was hoping to find on of my colleagues from the band days. I don't remember. I do remember spotting a familiar mop of red hair.

As fate would have it, the man turned towards me and locked eyes. There was a short moment of panic in me. What was I going to say? Would he forgive me for leaving four years ago on such short notice? What was he doing in a bar? He rarely drank, but the bartender acted as if he was a regular.

I snapped back into focus. Lenny had looked away, pointedly ignoring me. We'd been best friends for years, even went out for a while, and he ignores me when I get back in town. The nerve of him!

I stood up. If he wasn't coming to me, I'd come to him.

"Lenny Nepp. Didn't think I would see you in a place like this," I said casually as I slid into a seat next to him.

"Same here, Carrie Beff. Didn't know you were home. How long is it before you leave again? Three days? A week?" Lenny asked, clearly broken hearted. He downed another shot and I wondered how many he'd had so far.

"For good, actually. I've given up on my singing career. It wasn't the same without you…guys," I added at the last second, deciding not to bring up the subject of us.

"You couldn't have figured the out before you left us in complete disarray? I…The band was lost without you. But I guess it doesn't matter now, Miss I'm-So-Famous." Lenny stood to leave, taking out some cash for his drinks. It was a lot more than I thought, and I'm surprised he wasn't a least a little tipsy. I grabbed his wrist.

"I could come back, you know. We could reform the Newmans," I said. He was still for a minute, staring at me. I thought that he might sit back down. I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd forgive me. Then he shook my hand away, and left without another word.

I sighed. He was really angry at me. It was justified, of course. I did leave him and the band for a chance to be famous. Everyday I regretted my choice a little bit more. This was the most I'd ever regretted it. There were tears brimming in my eyes. "You got any Jack Daniels?" I asked the bartender. To my delight, and probably the expense of my liver, he nodded.

"So…you knew the red-haired kid?" the bartender questioned with a slight country accent. It seemed a little odd to be talking with a bartender, but I really didn't care.

"Yea, we are…we were best friends. A long time ago," I answered. He presented me with the drink.

"Boy's in a mighty bad shape. Comes here almost every month and downs at least a bottle." I nearly choked.

"For how long?" The tender shrugged, wiping down the counters like in a movie.

"I've only work here a year, but he's been here since I started. I suspect a while before that, seeing as he can hold his liquor. Sometimes I'll hear him muttering about how 'she left me'. I guess that she would be you."

"It was the opportunity of a lifetime! I thought he understood."

"He understands fine, Miss. He just don't like it," the bartender said as he walked away. With that in mind, I drank the rest of my drink, paid, and left.

The night was cold and it was raining lightly. It was so cliché and it fit my mood perfectly.

Lenny had been drinking, impossible as it sounds. A part of me wanted to deny it, but the other part knew it made sense. My heart sunk to my stomach the more I thought about it. Alcohol shortens your lifespan, right?

I should've come back sooner. I shouldn't have left them. I was the leader, the glue that kept us together. Just goes to show you how one choice changes everything.

And then somebody bumped into me. We both tripped. In a split second, I thought about Lenny.

"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." I knew that voice, annoying as it was. It was not Lenny, sadly, but it was an old friend. If you could call him a friend, that is.

Corey stood up, and offered me a hand. I knocked it away, brushing my self off as I got to my feet.

"Been a longtime," I said. He frowned.

"Am I supposed to know you?"

I rolled my eyes. He was oblivious as ever. "You know me, the one that broke your finger, your rival, possible step-sister."

Corey blinked. "Carrie?"

"The one and only," I grinned. He engulfed me in a hug, always the one who forgot personal space. Or maybe he just didn't know the meaning of it.

"I thought you were on tour!" He said, breaking away.

"Yea, well, I'm back. For good," I added the last bit thinking of Lenny.

Corey grinned. "That's great! Oh, you've got to come see everyone. Laney and I- Wait, where're staying?"

"Actually, I haven't thought of that." I cursed myself internally for forgetting. I had money, luggage, even my car parked down the block, but the most important thing I had forgotten. Where was I going to stay?

"You could stay with Lenny," Corey suggested smirking. I punched him in the arm while glaring.

"We're not exactly on good terms. Have you talked to him lately?" I asked hopefully. He shook his head.

"Not for a couple months. He seemed real down last time we chatted. Laney says he's just upset. I don't know why- wait. You didn't tell him you were leaving, did you?" Corey surprised me by guessing it.

"It was too hard to say goodbye."

"Oh. Well, I guess you could ask Kim and Konnie if they'd let you stay," He said, veering of the topic of Lenny. A good choice, I suppose he's been brushing up on when to keep his mouth shut.

"Just until I get things running," I assured him.

"Of course, I wouldn't think otherwise." He glanced down at his watch. I was impressed that he wore one. Maybe Laney had gotten on to him for being late one to many times. I was slightly less impressed when I realized there were little cartoon characters painted on it.

"I've got to go. Come over sometime soon, okay? I'll plan a big welcome home party," Corey said. I nodded, waving as he disappeared down the street.

It was nice knowing I didn't leave everyone in a bad mood. Though Corey was almost always in a good mood, so I don't think he counted.

The drive to Kim and Konnie's was excruciatingly boring. Two of my songs came on during the twenty minute trip. They only made me feel worse.

I passed Lenny's house on the way. It was a lot less bright than I remembered. In my memories, there were trees blooming, those little purple flowers every where, and Lenny and I were up in our tree house, being ridiculously childish for a couple of twenty year olds. In comparison, the house resembled a graveyard. The trees looked dead, our tree house was in shambles, the grass didn't even grow in places, there was a big 'For Sale' sign out front, and minus the lights on upstairs, it was pitch black.

I thought about stopping. I thought about getting out, knocking on Lenny's door, and making some sappy apology you only see in Hallmark movies. But I didn't. I don't know why, looking back. I should have. That's another one of those choices I made wrong. Or maybe I didn't. Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever know the right choice from the wrong one.

I slowed to a halt in front of Kim and Konnie's house. Exactly as I remember it, except for an unfamiliar car. A black pickup with spay-painted flames sat in the driveway.

"Dorky," I thought as I walked towards the door. I only had to knock twice before the door swung open.

A tall, dark haired, rather handsome man with glasses, looking a little older than me, had answered the door.

"Who is it?" I heard Kim call from the sitting room. The man didn't answer for he was to busy looking at me as if I was a polar bear in the Sahara Desert. In other words, he thought I didn't belong here.

I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable when Kim appeared behind him. Her jaw dropped.

"Sup?" I said for lack of a better greeting.

"You're back," Kim stated, and I nodded. She turned to the man and swatted him lightly on the shoulder. "What are you waiting for, Kin? Let her in, you goof! It's raining out there!"

I had to suppress a shocked expression. Kin, the short guy with acne, was the man standing in front of me? I wouldn't have believed it, but I could see it. The same round glasses, the same haircut, and the same eyes that shifted colors.

I stepped inside, doing a quick look around, and saw Kon and Konnie sitting on the floor in front of the television. A movie was playing, a scary one by the looks of it. At the moment an alien was snapping some poor guy's head off before popping it in its mouth like a chicken nugget.

"Hey, what're you watching?" I said. Konnie froze and slowly turned around.

"Carrie?" She asked like all the others. I nodded again; sure if I nodded anymore my head would fall off. Seriously, I was getting a crick in my neck.

"You're back!" Kon and Konnie shouted, engulfing me in a hug that nearly crushed me. Kim politely reminded them that I couldn't breathe. They both mumbled apologies and let go.

"S'okay, you guys. I missed you, too," I huffed. They waited until I had gotten my breath back to bombard me with questions.

"When did you get back?"

"How long are you staying?"

"I like your hair. What'd you do with it?"

"Where are you staying?"

I held up my hands, requesting and getting silence. Being a bandleader has its perks.

"I got back a few hours ago, Kim. I'm staying for as long as I like because I quit, Kin. Thank you for noticing that, Konnie. I let it grow out a bit; put some light blue streaks in it, nothing too major. And lastly, I have no idea where I'm staying, Kon." I answered them all in order.

"You could stay with us, Carrie. It'd be like a big sleepover," Kim said excitedly as Konnie nodded in agreement. Well, that was handy.

"If I'm not interrupting, I'd love to. Thanks," I said. The female twins glanced at each other, silently mouthing the word 'interrupting'.

"Interrupting your date, of course," I answered their unspoken question. The set of twins all went red in the face. The boys hastily excused themselves, only stopping to grab the bowl of cheesy popcorn.

"Still good at making observations, I see," Kim said, fighting the blush. I shrugged. "I know a movie date when I see one. Lenny and I-," I stopped. Tears threatened to spill out, but I held them in for the sake of my friends.

"Never mind. Shall we watch the rest of this movie?" I asked, gesturing towards the television. They shrugged and nodded, taking a seat on the couch as I sat on the floor.

A lot needed to be done. I wanted to catch up with Corey and Laney. I wanted to visit my parents again. I wanted to order some food from my favorite dinner in town. I needed to fix everything I'd broken.

But that could wait until the morning. It was late, the rain had turned into a storm something fierce, and my friends wanted me to talk with them. It could wait. I hoped


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey, guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, favs, and follows! They are appreciated!

I was going to try to make each chapter at least 2,000 words long, but serious writer's block prevented me from making this chapter any longer than 1,750. Eh, close enough.

Next chapter is Lenny's point of view! Hooray!

A fanfic without reviews is a pickle that isn't green.

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When I woke up the next day, I could not remember where I was. I though I would wake up in my trailer, ready for another long day of being a singer. Instead, I woke up on a pile of blankets on someone's floor.

"Good morning," Kim said, not looking away from the newspaper in her hands. I looked around. We must have fallen asleep in the living room after watching the movie. Konnie was sleeping on the couch, and Kim was in the kitchen. The clock read around eight in the morning.

"Morning," I mumbled in reply. Standing and peeking out the window to the front yard, I mentally planned a path through the mud and to my car. It really rained hard last night. Several stray branches were scattered in yards and along the road.

"I'm going out to get my bag," I told Kim, who glanced up at the clock and nodded.

"Corey called earlier. He said to come over around noon, and that they'd arranged a little welcome home party for you," she said.

"That's oddly nice of him," I comment as I pulled on my shoes. Corey and I almost never got along when we were younger. Kim just shrugged.

"He's matured since you left, especially since the event."

I paused, my jacket half on. "What event would that be?"  
She smiled mischievously, and answered, "You'll see."

I stared for a long time, then shook my head and pulled on my coat. "I suppose I will."

The air was still cold when I walked outside. Of course, it was November. The puddles where iced over slightly, only enough to appear frozen until you stepped on them.

My old house was just down the street from here, but the people who lived there were strangers. Mom and Dad had passed five years ago, and it still blew me away sometimes.

I unlocked my car, pulled out my suitcase out of the truck, and locked it again before heading inside.

The next few hours went by rather slowly. We were all excited for the party. I, personally, couldn't wait to see everyone. I missed everyone so much. The people on tour with me did not even come close to my real friends.

Kim said it was just a party between friends, and that I shouldn't dress too fancy unless I was aiming to impress a certain someone. I knew that she meant Lenny. She was trying to embarrass me, but I simply brushed it off. Lenny didn't like me like that anymore, however childish it sounded. He had moved on. I cannot say that I was completely okay with it.

We arrived at Corey's house at about noon. It wasn't the house I had gotten used to seeing while we were growing up. He had apparently bought his own house. The house was a light blue color, and looked a little larger than a regular home. A classic picket fence surrounded it. As I stepped towards it, I heard barking from inside the fence.

Kim and Konnie grinned widely. "Happy!"

They opened the fence and an energetic German shepherd ran to greet them. I cocked an eyebrow.

"A dog named Happy?" I asked incredulously. Konnie nodded, still petting the canine.

"Originally, it was Lenny's, but he gave it to Laney about a year ago. He said her and Corey needed extra protection because…" she trailed off at a sharp look from Kim. "…Because of something. You'll find out soon."

For the second time today, I was left in the dark.

"Come on, there's cake inside!" Konnie called, already half way to the door. Kim patted Happy one more time, and motioned for me to follow. Happy nipped playfully at her heels and nuzzled my hand as we walked.

"Welcome home!" Corey shouted as soon as I entered. "Okay, now that you're here, come meet everyone again!"

Before I had a chance to speak, he had grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to Kin and Kon.

"Kin, Kon, meet Carrie again!" Corey announced with a grin. The brothers chuckled.

"Met her last night at the girls' house, but we didn't get to talk much." Kin said. Corey frowned, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Since when were you going to Kim and Konnie's house so late?" He asked carefully. They blushed, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, look, a random thing that we must leave immediately to do. Bye!" The male twins took off, leaving me in peels of laughter. Corey cracked a smile as soon as their backs were turned.

"I love messing with them," He sighed happily. "Hey, there's Nick Mallory and Mina!"

No more than three seconds after he said that, I was engulfed in a hug from my older sister. I might have missed her the most, but we wrote letters a lot, so it wasn't too bad.

"You're back!" Mina squealed. I could not reply because I could barely breathe. She was a tight hugger.

"Nick Mallory says Carrie Beff is having a hard time breathing."

Mina let go sheepishly, and I nodded at Nick.

"Nice to see you again, Nick. How are you?" I said politely. I didn't know a whole lot about him. Before I left, I would only see him occasionally when Mina invited him over or Nick came to pick her up for a date. Trina eventually got over him for some jock (I think his name was Carl or something), and Mina finally told Mallory about her huge crush on him. Thank God, I felt like I would explode if she kept talking about him and Trina. You can laugh, but it was bad.

"Nick Mallory thinks that's no way to talk to Carrie Beff's future brother in-law," Nick said. Corey, Mina, and Nick laughed as my jaw dropped. It was only then I noticed the nice sized ring on my sibling's hand.

I slowly recovered from the shock, and smiled. "Finally! I though I was gonna grow old and die before you two got hitched!"

The couple blushed.

"Me, too, I was so tired of you two dancing around," Corey said. I shot him a look.

"Don't go complaining about how long it took them to get together. Laney and you took five-ever to start dating steadily!"

"Tell me about it," a voice came from behind me. Corey's eye lit up and he practically shoved me out of the way. Laney was standing there, hair looking a little longer. Corey kissed her cheek.

She hugged me and I noticed something.

"Well, damn, Laney. Everyone got taller while I was gone, except for you," I teased. The redhead girl huffed.

"Yes, but-" I cut her off, finally noticing the silver band on her left hand. Man, I was bad at noticing stuff.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you got married?" Laney smiled. Riffin puffed his chest out proudly.

"Yep, Riff-man is off the market. I can just hear the cries of the women I turned down for Lanes."

Laney and I both rolled our eyes.

"Let's remember that he was a nervous, sweaty wreck when he asked me," Laney said, patting his shoulder. He visibly deflated, pouting as well.

The door opened. A little child's excited babbling reached my ears. Laney looked over her shoulder and smiled widely.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming," she said to a man holding a small child. Corey took the kid out of his arms carefully, babbling happily back to the baby.

"I wasn't, but Dilly here was getting cranky and I didn't have his bottle."

The voice struck me and my whole body went rigid.

"I knew I forgot something. Be right back," Laney said. I think she went upstairs, but I wasn't focusing on her, Corey, or the little baby that was apparently theirs. Lenny stared straight at me.

"Hi," I greeted lamely. He just nodded with a frown.

"How are you?" He shrugged coldly.

"Can't you talk?" I said through gritted teeth. Lenny completely ignored me. I felt my blood turn hot. Why would he not talk to me? It was so frustrating!  
"Say something!" I demanded. He stared blankly at the stairs.

Laney came thumping back down, bottle in hand. She handed it to him, and Corey passed the baby boy back. The tips of Lenny's mouth tilted upward as he held his nephew.

Then he was leaving again. As they said their goodbyes, I placed myself between Lenny and the door. I had to get him to talk to me.

He turned to leave, feeding the nearly asleep baby as he walked. There was no immediate reaction when he reached me.

"Say something, Lenny. Please," I muttered. He blinked twice. It could have been my imagination, but I thought I saw tears.

"You shouldn't talk to me anymore," Lenny said emotionlessly. I took a shaky breathe as the door shut, signaling that he was gone.

"Are you okay?" Corey asked, surprising me. I blinked back tears, and nodded with a faint smile.

"I'm fine. So…you're a daddy, huh?"

"Yep, little Dylan Riffin," he smiled. "He loves his uncle to bits."

"Well, he looks just like him," I said. Laney shook her head.

"Not true. Dylan has blue eyes."

I couldn't quite grasp that Corey and Laney had a kid. That was why Lenny gave them the dog and Riffin matured. It made sense, but still seemed so surreal.

"You know, I'm sure Dilly would love an aunt. Specifically a blue haired, singer, ex-bandleader auntie," Corey said smirking.

"Except that blue haired, singer, ex-bandleader, knows that Lenny isn't interested," I answered. His smile fell.

"Oh. That's going to be a problem," Corey mumbled, and walked off towards the male twins. I glanced at Laney.

"He's trying to set Lenny and me up together, isn't he?"

She nodded as if it was perfectly normal. "Well, it's not like you don't want him back."

I felt my face heat up. "I don't want Lenny back."

"Trick question. I didn't say anyone's name, yet you immediately thought of Lenny," Laney said. I sputtered indignantly.

"B-but we were talking about him! Of course I would think about Lenny instantly," I argued.

She shrugged, smirking slightly. "Keep telling yourself that."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Yea, yea, I know. "Nobody, you took so long to update!" You say. Well, I'm sorry. Seriously, I am. My excuse? Writing is hard, work is long, life goes by too fast. Ya happy?

If you haven't been to De Soto park in Alabama, I highly suggest you go there. It's a very pleasant place, and the scenere is breathtaking. And they have free wifi! :D

Happy Valentines Day! Love you guys!

Ps: **THIS CHAPTER IS IN LENNY'S POINT OF VIEW!**

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I hated Carrie, but I also loved her. She left the band and me on short notice, not even saying goodbye to me, and then she tried to come back and just fix everything. She wanted to 'fix' me, to make me the man I was before she broke my heart. But I pushed her away.

During the event I now call, well, The Event, I asked myself questions. Was it not clear that it hurt me to talk with her? Was it not obvious that every time I looked at her, my heart broke all over again? I remember describing it as a dream and a nightmare coming true.

The worst part was I felt like it was my fault. It had went to the point where I would stay up at least five hours a night trying to figure out where I went wrong, why Carrie didn't stay, until one day I realized I was being ridiculous. I did not do anything wrong. She just upped and left us because she wanted to follow her dream.

I could understand that, I had many dreams I wanted to pursue, but a large part of me knew I could not abandon my family and friends. Carrie could.

From that moment of realization, my coldness for her only grew. I started drinking to drown the lonely feeling. Four years of unintended, ice-cold hate lashed out when she came back home. I did not mean to say those things in the bar. I was hurting and drunk.

Then The Blind Date came. In a word, it was bad. Allow me to elaborate.

First off, I want to say Dylan was one of the only things that made me smile. My baby pictures could have easily been mistaken for photos of him. Laney said that he would babble about me, but I couldn't understand any sounds he made. Sometimes he made sounds like a motorboat, and sometimes he sounded remarkably like a cat, but mostly it was just a lot of drool and throw up. Let me tell you, that stuff is not pleasant.

Dylan seemed to enjoy it when I visited. I was the cool uncle with all the great gifts. It was one of the best feelings in the world when he would smile at me. I thought maybe one day I would find another girl that I would love and maybe we would have kids.

That particular day, Laney asked me to watch him while the party for Carrie went on. I was not ready to face my heartbreaker so I said I would. We had a great time, playing peek-a-boo and stuff. He started to get grumpy around noon. I went to put him down for his nap, absently rocking him while I searched for his bottle in the bag Laney gave me. After a minute of looking, I realized my sometimes-forgetful sister packed everything except his bottle.

With great reluctance, I walked a block to her house. I knew Carrie was going to be there. I even saw her car in the driveway. Yet it still thunderstruck me when she was right there.

Carrie, the girl I hated/loved, was mere feet away. It hurt. It hurt like that time Corey dared me to walk on hot coals, except for the burn was in my chest not the souls of my feet. However, I did not know exactly why I was in pain. I should have been overjoyed that my friend was home. It was the strange knowing how you are suppose to feel but feeling completely the opposite.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming," my sister said, smiling but looking confused. I passed Dylan to Corey, briefly watching him talk to his son. Sure, Corey had matured, but he seemed to become a child again around Dylan.

"I wasn't," I admitted. "But Dilly here was getting cranky and I didn't have his bottle."  
I was well aware of Carrie watching me. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced cautiously at her. She was as still and pale as a marble statue. I wanted to turn back to my sister when I heard her say something to me, but it was as if she was glue for my eyes. I could not shake myself out of the trance even if I tried. Every fiber of my being was in complete panic.

I did not know what to do, how to act, or even how to speak. It sounds girly, but there were so many emotions coursing through my head that I just shut down for a second.

"Hi," Carrie breathed, regaining control of her body. I suddenly felt a wave of cold hit me. All I could do was nod silently.

"How are you?" She continued trying to start a conversation.

I just shrugged. Honestly, I was not sure how I was. I wasn't fine, but I was not about to say I was broken into a million tiny pieces.

"Can't you talk?" Carrie growled. I ignored her.

"Say something!" Before I answered, Laney came back with a bottle in hand. It might have been for the best that Carrie abruptly ended our half-conversation. I might have done something I would regret deeply. Maybe there was no might needed in that sentence. My annoyance was building quickly, and I couldn't stop it.

I took the bottle from Laney and Dylan from Corey and started feeding my nephew immediately. Laney smiled softly at the sight, momentarily suppressing my growing annoyance for Carrie.

"Thanks, Laney. I'll keep him until the party ends, he just wouldn't go to sleep without being feed," I said. Corey nodded a little in agreement.

"I totally understand how he feels," He said seriously. Laney giggled into her hand, trying not to disturb Dylan, which was pretty pointless with the party going on around us. The little guy seemed oddly undeterred by it.

"I better get him to bed. Bye," I said, feeling the eyes on my back. If the twins caught wind of me, I would never be able to leave. Laney and Corey said their goodbyes to Dylan and me respectively, and I turned to the door.

Not ten steps later Carrie blocked my path. She had an odd sparkle in her eye, almost like a tear being held back. I kept my face a blank slate.

"Say something, Lenny. Please." I really did want to speak. Everything felt wrong, though. Carrie left me for fame and riches. She never called, never wrote, the only way I knew she was alive was from the reports on television and the letters Kim and Konnie relayed to me. Why should I talk to her? Why should I even acknowledge her, if all she was going to treat me like last week's trash? In addition, it pained me to hear her talk like that, as if she cared about me.

I blinked back tears. I did not know when they started forming, sometime during my thoughts I suppose, but I was not about to cry. Brushing past her hurriedly, I lingered only to whisper to her.

"You shouldn't talk to me anymore." Then I left.

After Dylan went down for his nap, I threw myself onto the couch and sighed. I thought about what disaster I had thrown myself into that evening. If she cared, Carrie would be broken hearted. If she didn't…well, maybe she would leave me alone. The thing was, I didn't want her to leave me alone, but at the same time, I was thoroughly annoyed with hurting.

Everything was so messed up, as it always was. Anything with Carrie was either an adventure or utter chaos. This fell into the category, 'utter chaos'.

It was as if the world around me had been slowly crumbling, and now it was shattering faster than I could imagine.

It was a big cliché. I almost understood how people in movies felt.

Unlike those people in the movies, I was not going to mope on my misfortune any longer. I had had enough sadness. I did not plan on making friends with Carrie again, or even speaking to her. However, it was obviously a waste of my time to mope around, and I only wished I had recognized this sooner.

I got up and phoned Laney.  
"Hello?" She answered almost instantly. It took me a second to find my words again.

"Um, I don't know how to say this exactly but, could you get me a blind date?" I asked awkwardly. Laney knew a ton of people in town, I was sure she could get me a date, but you try asked your sister to set you up on a date. It's somewhat unnerving.

"Okay, why the sudden need to go out? Does it have anything to do with Carrie getting back in town?" Laney sounded slightly concerned and mostly mischievous.

"No, I just…want to get out there. When Dylan grows up, I don't want to be known as the creepy, single uncle who can't get a date to save his life," I said. It was partly true; I did not want to be alone.

My sister laughed. "I never thought of it that way. I could find a girl interested in you, but Core has picked matchmaking as his newest hobby. Mind if I let him pick your date?"

I thought wisely that a man might be able to pick a beautiful woman better than another female, but I said yes because Corey was my friend and brother in-law. I had to humor him. Also, I was kind of desperate.

"What's up?" Corey said casually. I fidgeted nervously.

"I need you to get me a blind date, possibly by tonight."

He chuckled into the receiver. "Whoa, dude, slow down. Getting back out on the market takes time. However…I think I know a girl. It just so happens that I know she's free tomorrow around lunch and would love some company."

"Really? Thanks, Corey!" I said excitedly. After a few moments of talking about the latest musician we enjoyed, Dylan's cries came from my bedroom.

"Your son is awake," I told Corey. "I'll bring him over soon, okay?"

"Yes! Meet you halfway," he cheered and hung up. I grinned to myself as I picked up Dylan and soothed him.

While my actions were focused on Dylan, my mind was thinking about tomorrow. I could not help but wonder whom Corey had in mind for the date.


	4. Chapter 4

I was in a bit of a pickle. Corey had called five minutes ago and asked me if I would like to go on a blind date at the café. I wasn't dumb. I knew he was trying to set me up with an unknowing Lenny. That's part of the problem.

Shortly after my last conversation with Lenny, I knew he wanted me to leave him alone. He was infuriated at my actions. It was best to let him cool off before I even began to talk with him.

So I told Corey no.

Now I was sitting on the carpeted floor of my two best friend's house, watching a Harry Potter movie, and trying to stay attentive. It wasn't that the movie was boring. I just couldn't keep my thoughts on it. My mind kept wondering to all I had missed out on.

Imagine this. You left your family for a while, and when you came back everything had changed. Your friends had gotten married, had kids, or just plain grew up. The old flame you left? They pretty much hate you.

I couldn't stop thinking about a certain red head, and it wasn't Ron Weasley.

"Girls, I have a problem." Kim paused the movie.

"Hermione and Ron just kissed and you didn't squeal. We know you have a problem," Konnie said, popping some candy in her mouth. I rolled my eyes.

"I already told you I like Harry and Hermione better," I reminded them. They gasped dramatically, acting as if I had just said something highly offensive. I guess I had in their world.

"However, that isn't the problem."

Kim snorted, "Speak for yourself."

"I can't stop think about Lenny," I said, ignoring her. The twins shifted into a serious mood, and gestured to go on. I bit my lip as I thought of how to put my thoughts into words.

"He wants me to leave him be, but I want to help him."

The twins simultaneously raised one brow in a "Is that really it?" look.

"Fine, I want Lenny back," I said to avoid any embarrassing interrogation. They looked satisfied.

Kim grabbed the candy from her sister and settle back into the couch, reaching for the remote.

"Wait, what am I suppose to do?" I asked desperately. Konnie glanced at me. She examined the worried look that must've been on my face and tilted her head.

"You really don't know?" Kim questioned. I shook my head. The twins face palmed. Konnie picked up the home phone, and dialed a number. A quick conversation followed. After she hung up, she smiled slyly at me.

"Okay, you have a date with Declan."

"What?" I said incredulously. Konnie just patted my head.

"Go get ready for your date," she ordered.

"Trust us, we are the love experts," Kim said, with a tone that declared the conversation over. She turned back to the movie.

"Oh, by the way, it's at the diner in ten," Konnie relayed hurriedly. I was in shock at the twins, but I slowly realized the genius plan. Either it was to make Lenny jealous, or to get my mind off of him.

I got up from my seat on the floor, shuffling to the upstairs room that was temporarily mine. Just for now, mind you. I will not take advantage of my friends.

Light flooded the room, revealing its semi-empty state. A few unpacked boxes of my belongings sat in the middle of the floor. The bed was positioned horizontally next to the window, giving a perfect view of the seemingly quite neighborhood. A nice dresser along the right wall held most of my clothes, and an oak desk that smelled faintly like cigarettes sat alone in the corner. I'd placed my journal, cell phone, and bag there.

I had originally come up to get my shoes. When the journal caught my eye, I seated myself at the desk and opened it to a blank page. It was a habit I'd gotten into while in the music profession. Keeping a diary had helped me write songs. I tapped my pen absently as I stared at the paper.

I jotted down my thoughts before I realized I was wasting valuable time. Jumping up and grabbing my sneakers, I sprinted downstairs. I said a rushed goodbye to the twins as I left.

I arrived at the diner five minutes later. The sign read open in flashing, neon letters, but the place was practically deserted. Most people were just drinking coffee or hot chocolate to ward off the cold. In the back booth, there was a couple that were actually eating.

Though I didn't recognize the brunette girl, I was sure the man was Lenny. Through the window, I could tell they were laughing. Half of my brain said to storm in there, grab the girl by the collar, give her a piece of my mind, and declare that Lenny was mine. The other half said it wasn't the best choice to make and I might be arrested. Besides, I had a date.

He caught my eye as I went to turn away. I saw him grin sheepishly to the girl and stand. Lenny quick walked to the door. If the glass door didn't have a resistor on it, it probably would have shattered for he slammed it behind him.

"So…who's the girl?" I spoke casually, trying to mask my annoyance. He ran his finger through his hair as he sighed.

"Did you happen upon us or did you mean to come here?" Lenny asked. I was really glad I had a reason.

"Actually, I'm here to meet my date. He should be along any moment now."

As if on cue, a young blonde guy strode up to me. He was wearing a faded shirt with a cartoon badger, jeans, and sneakers with videogame characters. His attire said "gamer dude", but he looked more like a swimsuit model than anything.

"Hi, are you Carrie?" he said. I nodded, grinning brightly.

Lenny was fuming and his face was bright red. Whether he was angry because he had been hoping to catch me spying on him, or he was simply jealous, was somewhat undecided. In any case, he was ticked off.

"I'm Declan, it's nice to meet you," the swimsuit model guy said. I politely replied, but I was mainly containing my laughter. Lenny looked outraged. It was definitely jealousy. I knew he wanted to kick Declan into unconsciousness right then, and you know what? It kind of felt good to know he still cared.

"I was just catching up with an old friend. We can go whenever you like, Declan," I said. He smiles and offers his hand, which I take without hesitation.

As we walk away, I relish the hardly audible curses words Lenny casts on Declan.

* * *

**A/N**: It's short and crappy, but screw it. I'm tired.

Thanks for the encouraging reviews, awesome favs, and the amazing follows on the last chappie!

Yep. Carrie's enjoyment with Lenny's jealousy is strange. At least he still cares, right?

Swimsuit model guy and Lenny's date based off a dream. Don't worry, they won't be around long. I know everyone hates a Mary Sue, but they have a purpose!

What do you guys think will happen: Declan the polite and understanding or Declan the heartbreaker (think Hans from Frozen)?


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